Chapter 10

Zenaida walked through the burnt streets of Cormalen cautiously. Many of the once proud buildings she remembers looking at with awe when she first arrived were now nothing more than charred husks. The smell of ash and smoke stung her nose as she walked between the gutted ruins of Cormalen. Here and there, she saw signs of habitation such as a white dress that had been seared black by fire, half a man’s hat that had been consumed by flames and an arm of some child’s doll.

Zenaida hurried on, across the cobblestone roads of the city which was sometimes covered with ash in some places or littered with burnt wood which the tigress jumped over effortlessly. From time to time, she ran into other people, a family looking desperately for any valuables that had been spared by the flames, an old man who wept at what was once probably his home and more than a few constables riding kiloraptors, surveying the wreckage of the city. There were a few buildings that were intact but these were few and far between and even these had been at least charred black in some parts by the great fire that consumed Cormalen. Here was a bakery which continued to operate, the smell of sweetened bread, perking up her nose but its entire north side had been blackened by the fire. There was a house that was more or less intact and there was a family that was having lunch in it as Zenaida passed but one of the house’s wall was missing, allowing Zenaida to watch them eating. There was a blacksmith who continued to work his furnace and tools, hammering what appeared to be a frying pan on an anvil despite the fact that all that remained of his shop was one wall.

It took Zenaida less than an hour to reach St. Daniston Cathedral which was mostly intact thanks to having a wide yard between its now charred walls and the building itself. Inside were dozens upon dozens of people bustling about, going in and out of the cavernous cathedral. Some of these people carried buckets of water, others had baskets of food but there were more than a few who instead lifted between them stretchers loaded with people. Zenaida walked in quietly without much fuss, doing her best to avoid any of those who were busy tending to burn victims.

This was where the survivors of the fire were taken after the local hospital also burned down. Zenaida walked between burn victims who had been laid out on the floor with sheets of cloth and blankets serving as their only beds. There were moans of agony, cries of misery and people weeping for their loss be it that of their loved ones or themselves after they had been thoroughly burned. People of all ages, genders, species and occupations could be found inside the cathedral with various priests, ministers, sacristans, sextons and various laymen tending to them. Doctors and nurses could be seen here and there but they were relatively few even though what most of the survivors really needed was good and thorough medical attention. The smell was almost debilitating but Zenaida managed to keep her stomach down.

After a while of wandering, Zenaida was soon met by a hyena who was a sexton tending to some of the survivors of the fire.

“May I help you miss?” asked the hyena sexton. “Are you looking for someone?”

“Yes,” Zenaida said and swallowed hard, fearing the answer to her own question. “Are there any survivors of from the barracks?”

“The barracks?” the hyena sexton thought back. “Yes, there is. We have Constable Emery somewhere in here. Wait, let me talk to Father Callahan, he probably knows for sure.”

The hyena sexton left for a moment but soon returned with a vampire bat dressed in the traditional black cassock and white collar of a Golden Church priest.

“Yes, my dear?” asked the vampire bat. “I am Father Callahan.”

“Father, this woman is looking for Constable Emery,” the hyena sexton said. “I’d lead her myself but I’m not sure where he is.”

“Ah Constable Emery,” the vampire bat’s expression suddenly became sad. “I will take this woman to Constable Emery. Go back on duty Harry. I’m sure Nurse Jenner needs your help more than this woman.”

“Understood Father,” the hyena said and left.

“Follow me young woman,” Father Callahan said. “I’d advise you to prepare yourself though.”

“Prepare for what?” Zenaida asked.

“For what you’re about to see.” Father Callahan said simply.

The priest led Zenaida through the rest of the cathedral. Here and there she saw images that would probably haunt her for life even though she was quite haunted already. A pair of laywomen changing the bandages of a badly burnt man, a woman insisting to a nun that her baby was still alive despite all evidence to the contrary and a group of sextons covering a woman who was clearly gone from the world.

They came to a place where there was a mole who was groaning in anguish.

“Father Callahan?” Zenaida asked quietly.

“Yes?”

“Where are the others?”

“Others?”

“Other survivors from the barracks?”

“Oh,” the vampire bat said and it soon became clear that he found it difficult. “He was all we found miss. All we found of the people from the barracks. Constable Neri was alive when we found her but she died before they could take her here. Constable Foley lasted much longer but he died this morning. Constable Emery is all that’s left.”

“Who...” said the mole weakly. “Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Mr. Emery,” Zenaida said and knelt down beside the man. “Zenny.”

“Zenny?” the mole at first didn’t understand and then did. “Zenny! I’m so glad to hear from you, young girl! You are alright, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Mr. Emery,” Zenaida said, tears flowing from her eyes. “I’m okay.”

“Blasted cultists!” the mole managed to spit. “They took us all by surprise. Used a firebomb, they did. I think they locked the gates from the outside before they bombed us though. It was too late by the time we realized what was happening.”

Emery stopped to utter another groan of pain.

“Blasted flesh wound,” the mole said, panting after making his cry of agony. “So, Zenny, who’s out there now? Who’s guarding the streets? I hope that dumb excuse for a bloke Duarte posted some people to keep the peace.”

“The Confederal Constabulary and Navy are out there,” Zenaida said. “And I think Emperor Pu also has some of his Xenjese guards help out.”

“Emperor Pu?” the mole scowled, sounding almost comical despite his pain. “That tyrant? Help with what? Help oppress Pyrilians?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, for the Redeemer’s sake!”

Zenaida almost laughed at that and with a side glance she saw that Father Callahan was slightly smiling.

Then Emery started coughing fit and both Zenaida and Father Callahan had to turn him to his side to prevent him from choking on whatever caught on his throat. The man then uttered a chilling scream that disturbed Zenaida after his coughing stopped. He lay on his back again, gasping and panting.

“I’m not going to last long this way,” Emery said. “I don’t think I’ll be here much longer.”

“No,” Zenaida said. “Don’t say that!”

“There’s no helping it now,” the mole said. “Juarez, Lazaro, Neri and Foley, they’re all gone now, aren’t they Father?”

“Yes constable,” Father Callahan nodded. “Foley passed away this morning.”

“No,” Zenaida went on. “You can’t go too.”

“But you aren’t alone Zenny,” Emery said. “You’ve still got Edgar and Kathleen at the Whaler. Besides, you’ve become quite a woman yourself now. You used to be just another kid who hung around the constabulary but now, you could probably beat up any one of us. You’ve trained hard with us girl and it’s all paid off.”

Emery had another coughing fit and it was clear that these were probably his few remaining moments.

“Father Callahan...” Emery said, his voice fading. “The chest I had you carry give it...”

The mole pointed a single clawed finger at Zenaida which then dropped.

“Mr. Emery?” Zenaida asked and then started shaking the mole when he wouldn’t react to her. “Mr. Emery!”

“He is gone my child,” the vampire bat priest placed a consoling hand on the tigress’ shoulder. “Come, there is something he left for you.”

Father Callahan led Zenaida to another room where there was a chest.

“He had a bunch of sacristans carry this along with Neri and Foley,” the priest pointed at the chest. “Here’s the key.”

He gave a large key to Zenaida.

“All of its contents are yours,” the vampire bat said and turned to leave. “I need to attend to something though.”

When Father Callahan had gone, Zenaida opened the chest and was surprised and overjoyed with what she found inside.

Inside the chest was a sword seven hands long, a suit of chainmail, two heavy gauntlets, a pair of greaves and a helmet with a full faceplate!